Chronology of Father Jean's Life
19 March 1885 Born in Saint Fabien, Quebec.
Fall 1901 Enters Minor Seminary in Rimouski.
17 November 1901 Hears Bishop Legal speak about Ukrainians in Rimouski Cathedral.
Fall 1907 Enters Grand Seminary in Rimouski.
11November 1908 Receives pamphlet by Father Achille Delaere C.ss.R., "Attempts at Schism and Heresy."
13 November 1908 Writes to Archbishop Langevin in St. Boniface, Manitoba,
declaring desire to become a 'Ruthenian missionary.'
Fall 1909 Enters Grand Seminary in Montreal.
14 August 1910 Ordained priest in Rimouski Cathedral by Bishop Blais.
September 1910 Meets Galician Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky during Montreal
Eucharistic Congress.
23 September 1910 Leaves Canada for Galicia with Fathers Joseph Gagnon and Arthur Desmarals.
6 September 1911 Changes to Ukrainian rite at Basilian monastery in Krekhiv.
November 1911 Goes to stay at Lavriv Basilian monastery. Under the influence
of Sheptytsky, develops interest in collecting historical artifacts.
June 1912 Leaves Galicia for Canada.
Fall 1912 Directs Missionary School at Sifton, Manitoba.
December 1912 New Ukrainian Catholic Bishop for Canada, Nykyta Budka, arrives.
October 1913 Jean goes to Galicia for the second time.
12 November 1913 Enters Basilian novitiate in Krekhiv.
Summer 1914 World War I breaks out.
August 1914 Jean moves to Lavriv. Pastor of eight parishes.
4 March 1917 Makes temporal vows as Basilian at Krekhiv.
March 1917 Assistant pastor in Zhovkva.
March 1917 'February' Revolution breaks out in Russia. Ukrainians in Eastern
Ukraine take steps towards independence, eventually leading to
proclamation of the Ukrainian National Republic (U.N.R.).
1 September 1918 Jean temporary director of Basilian boarding school for boys in Buchach.
Fall 1918 World War I draws to a close. Preparations for declaration of
Western Ukrainian independence. Establishment of Western
Ukrainian National Republic (Z.U.N.R.).
1 November 1918 Ukrainian takeover of Lviv. Immediate conflicts with Poles.
War between the Z.U.N.R. and Poland until early summer 1919.
December 1918 Jean librarian in Buchach monastery.
December 1918 Russian bishops under house arrest at Buchach monastery.
30 May 1919 Jean asked to do translation for the Z.U.N.R. government.
Beginning of career as secretary and translator for the Z.U.N.R.
16 July 1919 Crosses the Zbruch River into Eastern Ukraine. Works in
Kamianets Podilskyi for the Z.U.N.R. and the U.N.R.
August 1919 Goes to Warsaw with U.N.R. - Z.U.N.R. diplomatic mission.
2 December 1919 Treaty between the U.N.R. and Poland. Z.U.N.R. delegates leave Warsaw. Jean stays behind.
August 1920 Soviet advance on Warsaw. U.N.R. mission evacuated to Tarnow.
August 1920 Jean goes to Vienna to work for the Z.N.R.
September 1920 Travels to Riga, Latvia for Polish-Soviet peace talks.
November 1920 Attends fist session of the Assembly of the League of Nations in Geneva.
Also attends sessions of 1921 and 1922.
February 1921 Travels to London to lobby for the Z.U.N.R.
October 1921 Provides reliquary for relics of St. Josaphat in St. Barbara's
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Vienna.
February 1922 Travels to Paris and London to lobby.
April 1922 Travels to Genoa for international economic conference.
Goes to Rome for an audience with Pope Pius XI.
14 March 1923 Decision of Council of Ambassadors in Paris to give Eastern
Galicia to Poland. Shortly afterward Jean's work for the Z.U.N.R. ends.
6 August 1923 Goes to Bosnia as Studite monk.
November 1923 Named pastor of Kamenica, Nova and Stara Dubrava.
May 1924 Arrested by Bosnian authorities. Released and returns to Kamenica.
November 1924 Studites arrive from Galicia to Kamenica monastery.
December 1924 Studites arrested and expelled from Bosnia. Jean named pastor in Slavonia.
March 1925 Leaves Bosnia for Canada.
July 1925 Goes to live in Abitibi, Quebec, where he intends to build a
Studite monastery and start a Ukrainian colony.
February 1926 Three Studite brothers from Galicia join him.
Fall 1926 Monastery project fails.
1928 Settlers begin to come to Sheptytsky colony.
May 1931 Jean re-enters Basilian novitiate, at Mundare, Alberta.
October 1932 Professes temporal vows for the second time.
Fall 1932 Posted to Basilian monastery at St. Michael's parish in Montreal.
Assists at various parishes and missions -- Point St. Charles,
Slovak Ascension parish, Lachine, Ville Emard.
1935 Quebec government sends French settlers to the Sheptytsky site.
Name of post office changed to St-Georges-de-Lac-Castagnier.
December 1938 Jean appointed pastor of Holy Spirit parish in Point St. Charles.
September 1939 World War II breaks out.
October 1940 Appointed pastor of St. Michael's parish, ihumen (Father Superior)
of Montreal Basilian monastery.
October 1942 Appointed pastor of St. John the Baptist parish in Ottawa.
Beginning 1944 Conflicts in the parish over calendar.
April 1945 Jean gives anti-Soviet lecture in Ottawa. Transferred to Mundare.
January 1946 Sent to Europe to investigate situation of refugee Basilian monks. In London, meets with
Canadian delegation to first session of General Assembly of the United Nations.
January 1946 Goes to live in Paris.
March 1946 Travels to Germany. Meets with monks and visits refugee camps.
March 1946 Travels to Rome. Meets with Cardinal Tisserant.
June 1946 Sends first transport of monks to North America. Eight other transports
of monks and nuns go to North and South America over next few months.
February 1947 Jean sent to London to found first Ukrainian Catholic parish there.
April 1947 Meets first transport of Ukrainian European Voluntary Workers
coming to Britain from refugee camps in Europe.
May 1947 Ukrainian Catholic parish of St. Theodore of Canterbury formed in London.
June 1947 Jean visits newly arrived Ukrainian Division 'Galicia' in Sheffield.
4 July 1948 First liturgy held in Church of St. Theodore of Canterbury, Saffron Hill, London.
November 1948 Jean writes critical letter to Superior-General of the Society of Jesus.
December 1948 Blessing of Church of St. Theodore of Canterbury by Bishop Ivan Buchko.
August 1949 Jean leaves Britain for Canada.
1950-58 Assistant pastor at Edmonton, Mundare; Prefect of Discipline at Mundare monastery.
March 1955 Celebrations in Edmonton, Mundare, of Jean's 70th birthday.
July 1957 Blessing of the Ukrainian Museum and Archives of the Basilian
Fathers in Mundare, of which Jean named Honourary Director.
September 1958 Receives honourary doctorate from Ukrainian Free University in Munich.
October 1958 Transferred to Basilian monastery in Vancouver; assistant pastor at St. Mary's Church.
July 1959 Travels to Peace River Country.
1961 Retires at Basilian monastery in Grimsby, Ontario.
November 1963 Celebration in Jean's honour in Montreal. As a result, Father Jean Foundation
established to give scholarships to Ukrainian Catholic students.
8 June 1972 Jean dies in Grimsby. His body is taken for burial to Mundare.
This
is the Chronology from the book
A Turbulent Life:
Biography of Josaphat Jean O.S.B.M.
(1885 - 1972)
by
Zonia Keywan